Abstract

International students have diverse needs when undertaking education in Australian universities. It is in the interest of both international students and the host institution to ensure these students achieve success in their studies. This qualitative research study investigated the academic adjustment experiences of first year international Business students from Chinese Confucian heritage cultures at Victoria University, Australia. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted for data collection. The transcribed data was analysed under focus questions and themes identified in the literature review. The paper reports the final results of the study, focusing on the cultural factors which impinged on the adjustment of the cohort of students; the emerging patterns; processes of the adjustment; strategies for future students to adjust well; and implications on curriculum development and delivery.